When is it Time to do an Intervention?

Drug addiction can take its toll on everyone, not just the addict. The family members, loved ones and friends of an addicted individual will find it difficult to sit back and watch as they continue their self destruction, destroying important relationships in the process. So one may ask themselves, how long will this be allowed to continue and when is it time to do an intervention. The answer to this question is simple, when it has been deemed that the individual is using drugs with no sign that they will stop or be able to stop on their own. It is not necessary, but is the common misconception, that the individual will need to be at rock bottom or on the verge of death so accept help and get help. The time to do an intervention is well before it has reached a crisis point. Limit the destruction caused by drugs, and don't wait until the individual's drug use has reached a crisis point. Because, by this time, it may be too late.

Drugs can cause an individual to do things which they wouldn't normally do. For example, if a drug habit gets really bad an individual will take part in illegal activities such as violence, theft and even prostitution to get drugs or money for drugs. Drug users put themselves at risk on a daily basis on going to jail or being injured or killed in the process of committing a crime. Their drug use puts them in places and around individuals who most certainly do not have their best interests at heart, and they are therefore constantly in dangerous situations and environments which put them at risk. So family members and other concerned friends and loved ones have to realize that these risks are present every day that the individual is using drugs, and therefore there is no better time than the present to hold a Drug Intervention and get them the help they need before their safety or life is compromised.

Time is also of the essence when one considers the health risks associated with drug use. The addicted individual is continually putting themselves at risk of an array of health consequences as a result of the side effects of the drugs they use, not to mention drug overdose. This is especially true if the individual mixes illicit drugs, combines illicit drugs with prescription drugs, or mixes drugs with alcohol. Some of these effects can be reversible, but others are permanent. Why wait until your loved one has permanent organ damage, brain damage, or even worse is in a casket because of a drug overdose. There is no way of telling when or if these types of consequences will occur, as drug purity is always in questions and users aren't exactly concerned about their health when they are trying to keep up with a hardcore drug habit.

There are also other health risks to consider, which are particularly common among drug users who administer their drugs intravenously. Heroin and methamphetamine for example are drugs which users may choose to "shoot up" using a needle. The needle used may or may not have been used by someone else, such as someone who is a diabetic or more commonly by another drug user. The previous user may have a blood borne disease such as HIV/Aids or Hepatitis, which have no cure and can cause serious long-term health consequences and death. If the individual who is sharing the needle with your loved one is a drug user, they aren't concerned about the fact that they are spreading these deadly diseases. They are only concerned about themselves and their own drug use. Many millions of people have contracted such diseases in the process of using drugs, and it is sad that it was too late to hold an intervention by the time they contracted it or before the disease took their life.

It is also common for individuals to engage is risky sexual behavior while either under the influence of drugs, or in an attempt to earn money for drugs. This behavior also puts the addicted individual in a position where they are engaging in sexual activity, typically without protection, and are putting themselves at risk of sexually transmitted diseases. Again, some of these diseases have no cure and the individual will struggle with the consequences of their risky behavior for the rest of their lives. Worse yet, like in the case that they contract HIV, they will possibly lose their lives.

All of this can be difficult to comprehend if you are not an addict. Why would someone put themselves at such risk, and lose so much, just to feel high? In essence, one could never truly understand it on a personal level unless they became educated about how addiction works. Your loved one is not a bad person. They are just caught up in a physical and psychological dependence that can be too difficult to overcome on their own. This is why an intervention is such a powerful tool, and one that should be utilized immediately when concerned loved ones know that a problem exists. Many of these consequences can be avoided if proper measures are taken to intervene and get the addicted individual in an effective drug rehab program.

An intervention can be orchestrated in a matter of days, even hours if you are working with a professional interventionist. The interventionist will help choose the most effective drug rehab program for the addicted individual, and help guide intervention participants through the intervention process so that it is a success. The intervention will be a forum for the addicted individual to see how drugs are destroying everything, how this is affecting them and others and what they can do about it right now. So don't wait until drug addiction has caused any of the health and social consequences described herein. Hold an intervention and get your loved one the help they need today.

What is addiction?

Addiction exerts a long and powerful influence on the brain that manifests in three distinct ways: craving for the object of addiction, loss of control over its use, and continuing involvement with it despite harmful consequences.

For many years, experts believed that only alcohol and powerful drugs could cause addiction. Brain imaging technologies and more recent research, however, have shown that certain pleasurable activities, such as gambling, shopping, and sex, can also lead to addiction.

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